The Land of the Forgotten
by B.W.T.Markham
Summary: Apocalypse! The world has fallen, and demigods are on top, standing on the smoldering rubble. Will their division kill them? They've been given a chance, will they use it? Who are the new world's heroes? Are they the same caliber as the heroes in legends?
1. Chapter 1

**OK readers. This is an SYOC, the characters are all submitted so I don't need any new submissions or anything like that. this is just a prologue that I've written up. If you want an overview of what's going on check out my SYOC story. Other than that I don't have much to say, I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p>"Two A.M. Time to get up Mac,"<p>

I pushed myself out of my twin sized bed and looked into the face of John Macmillan. We'd been on the run for a few months now. His hair was long and greasy, and he had a torn shirt on. I could see his muscles through his shirt, they were more defined that they had been when we were at camp. Dodging monsters left right and center would do that to you. He walked across the broken down dirty living room and shrugged on his long black coat. It was a gift, from his dad Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams and sleep.

I guess I should start by saying my name isn't Mac, it's just what John calls people. The name is actually Xenos, it means stranger in Greek. I'd like to think I looked less beat than Mac but we dissagree on that point. I still managed to keep my hair close cropped, even if I have to cut it with Stag, my celestial bronze Ninjato sword. It was a gift from my dad, Kratos, the god of strength. I'm not sure how the god of strength ever had a kid like me. I never lived up to his name. I wasn't strong. At best I was fast, and smart.

Demigods were on average a step above the normal person, when it comes to survival. That's why we could take care of ourselves, unlike most mortals. When the crash hit the U.S. we were able to take care of ourselves. The same cant be said for mortals.

It was almost like the depression, the crash, only it was on a greater scale. Every government in the world collapsed though some held on longer than others, peru and South Africa held the longest. The population every country dropped by at least 30 percent, America wasn't so lucky, it fell a whopping seventy five percent. The world was comprised of drifters and war bands. Not a pretty site. Most demigods had abandoned camp Half-Blood.

They split into four main groups. John and I fell into the 'wanderers' class. We were drifters we didn't fit in with the clans we just wandered around, trying to survive. In the beginning there were hundreds of us, but quickly we disappeared and stopped coming to solstice trials. Last year there were only four that came, and the party ponies, with Chiron at the lead, didn't show at all.

The biggest clan, as far as numbers go was Jericho. That being said they weren't all demigods. They had some gutted out prison in upstate New York that they called home. If a mortal was in trouble that was the place to go, they'd give you a cell and food. That's more than most mortals could get for themselves. Jericho had problems though they were too nice, all the other groups knew everything about them, they couldn't say no. they'd let just about anyone in, and they were getting over crowded as a result.

Now if we're talking about numbers of _demigods_, the tranqs stand alone. They live in some sort of campsite around Ohio. They don't have any mortals in their group, period. As far as the tranqs go if you can't provide for yourself, by yourself, then they don't want you. They had a huge surplus of food and resources. That made them a target. Any struggling group would try to rob them. Mortals didn't stand a chance, demigods on the other hand. That's a different story.

That just leaves the Trojans, named for the war. They were the meanest, angriest and probably the most efficient of them all. They roamed around the most, save the various wanderers. They couldn't stay in one place for too long, they couldn't support themselves. They had to steal and tax war bands and small colonies. This worked out, for them. It was fight to survive and they were good fighters.

Ok so I guess next on my list of convoluted summaries is the solstice trials. Basically we all missed capture the flag. I think the truth of the matter is we all missed camp half-blood. Unfortunately our differences screwed that up. If any of us tried to stay there it'd piss off the other two and war would break out instantaneously. So instead of fighting we all held a sort of Olympic Games on all the solstices.

"Why you just sitting there Xen? 'S the summer solstice, we gotta get to camp half-blood lets go," I shrugged on my coat and my ninjato and started heading for the door.

Before leaving I checked my reflection with a near by mirror. My sideburns were getting darker and fuller. I could still see a scar lining my chin, an old gift from a chimera in Mexico. My black leather coat was slung over a button up shirt that concealed a grey wife beater. They were all rather dirty and patched up. My dark boot cut jeans had holes around the knees. They were held up with a scratched up leather belt that I kept my flashlight and my cartridge bandolier. I don't use my Winchester repeater very often, but my belt never seems to run out of ammo. Just like my bike never runs out of gas. Both blessings from my dad I guess, he didn't talk often but now and again he'd give me stuff. he never showed up but it was always the same. Somewhere on the gift he'd have the same unforgettable words.

Of course I couldn't forget them, they had been burned into my back for as long as I could remember.

_In adversity, we learn persistence._

_In pain, we learn resistance_

_In tyranny we learn insurgence_

_In success we learn diffidence._

_In failure we learn deference._

_In death we learn acceptance_

_In the afterlife we know our life's significance_

That's how the children of Kratos were claimed. We didn't get a shining spear above our heads or anything, we got a poem burned onto our shoulder blades. I would never admit it, because i hated my scarred up back, but in times of hardship, when I'm at my worst I chant it to myself. Either whispered or in my head. Somehow it always seemed to help, but maybe I'm just crazy.

I pulled the blue baseball cap from a hook and pulled it onto my head, backwards. I always wore that hat, unless I was sleeping. I sighed, picking up my gun from the corner, I hate mornings. I took one fleeting look at my deep blue eyes and my firm jaw, and then I followed John out the door.

"Why do we have to start so early again?" I asked as I walked out the front door, strait into the pitch black morning. The Night's dew covered the grass and the day's heat was long gone. I readjusted the strap on my ninjato sword. I needed to be able to pull it quickly over my shoulder and into a fighting position.

"Because we don't want any trouble from mortals, it's just easier this way." He said opening the garage door. I knew the answer, i just wanted to annoy John.

"Well we're stopping at sun up, I'm hungry already." I said my foot over my motorcycle. It was a low sleek black Harley. I had long ago replaced the seat with an old saddle I'd found in South Carolina. I tried to polish it as often as I could remember.

"Fine, lets just get some ground behind us, I'd rather we get to camp early."

I ignored him and started adjusting things on my bike. I pushed my Winchester into a better position. I dug some stuff out of my pocket and dropped it into my saddlebag. The second I swung my leg up onto the Harley John was pushing his Pegasus into a canter. "Try to keep up this time!" he called over his shoulder before taking off into the sky.

I slammed my foot down onto the kick starter and was instantly flying through country roads heading strait for half-blood hill. It should have been simple and Easy, but it was a long ride to camp.

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><p><strong>I hope you like my story. i'll be posting as often as i can. <strong>

**-B.W.**


	2. Hunters

**Super sorry about the length of nothingness but i had computer issues (I broke the screen.) To top it all off I had a good couple chapters done when it happened and now i have to remember everything I wrote. It may still be a while but hey atleast i'm not dead right? If i manage to motivate myself i'm sure i'll have a chapter in three or four days then we'll go from there again this isn't new content because i dont really have any its just me moving the story over from the syoc doc. So if you've already read that just skip the chapter and read the closing A/N**

**POV: Hunters of Artemis**

I jogged through the woods. I was soundless in my movements, one of the blessings of Artemis. When I wanted I could move through the forest easier than a breath of wind, though not as quiet as some of the others.

My name is Starke, Starke Kaiser. I'd been with the hunt for a while. I was just recently named Lieutenant. That Probably sounds great, you know a promotion, more responsibility and all that. Its not, in a hunters world promotions trail the death of a sister. In this case Thalia Grace. Its not often you see Artemis cry, but take one of her huntresses, and its hard to overlook.

Thalia was like Artemis's right hand. She was the daughter of Zeus, she fought during the titan war. She even knew Zoë Nightshade. How was I ever going to live up to that name, to that legacy? I had to be hard. I had to be strong, and a confidant leader, I had to be myself.

Grace was like a living legend. She'd seen history in the making. She'd been a part of it, of the campfire stories about Percy and Jason. Every hunter knew her story. I was a nobody. I hadn't even been on the hunt half as long as some of the others. Unfortunately Artemis sticks with her decisions, good or bad. It doesn't make sense why would she pick the one hunter who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a bow and arrow? It might be hard, but I'd consider being half as successful as Thalia to be a win. They might be skeptical but I'll prove them wrong.

Artemis was at the summer solstice meeting on Olympus. Usually we'd get a ride to camp half-blood, but we were close enough this year that we evaded Apollo and decided to hoof it.

The hunter's ranks had seriously withered. There were only a handful of us left, Thalia and her whole squad had been wiped out. We hung their dog tags on the pine tree in Grace Meadow. It was in northern Vancouver, when the Cyclops pack met up with them, Artemis turned them into the life essence of the valley. trees, grass, bushes, song birds you name it. Anything that lived and breathed had the soul of a hunter in it. Especially the pine in the center of the valley, it would seem that Thalia was destined to finish her life as a Tree.

I could feel my silver lieutenant's tags beat against my silver shirt. The rhythmic pace matched my footsteps as I ran through the closely knit trees. "What's that?"

I immediately stopped. Lucelia had spoken. she was my second in command. The other three hunters came up short quietly listening. I looked into her face, of all her skills, her craziest had to be her ears. She could listen to stuff I couldn't even begin to hear.

Strangely she reminded me of a timid puppy. She rarely spoke unless it was important.

"It sounds like a cat? Like its purring," she said forming her statement in a questioning tone?

"A cat?" asked Kayla, the tallest of our group. She had long black hair and tan skin. She was an Amazon, before she joined the hunters. She was by far the best at dealing with men. Instead of hating and ignoring them she just knew she didn't want anything to do with them, thought that wouldn't stop her from interacting, I had to admit I admired her ability to keep her temper in check. She was extremely level headed.

"Like a house cat? or a monster cat?"

"Either way we better go check it out" I said. I pulled my imperial gold hunting knives from my belt. They each had my motto scratched into their side. When I first scratched the words, they'd been slightly above the knife edge. Now they're half missing from their constant use and how often I sharpen them. 'Nemo me impune lacessit' no one provokes me with impunity, what can I say it's the truth.

"It's coming toward us," said Lucelia. "But it's still a ways off. I think its moving fast, traveling in a wide arc."

"If its staying consistent, we might be able to head it off" I said as Lucelia started drifting towards the sound absentmindedly.

"OOHH!" she exclaimed, causing us all to jump, I'd never heard her say anything so loud. "It's not a cat it's a BIKE, like a motorcycle"

"Then it's of no concern to us" I said, I had a hunch about who the motorcycle belonged to. As much as I loved my cousin, he was a pain in the ass. I tried to forget him watching my back during those first years of the crash, before I'd accepted Artemis and the hunters. Before I'd found a home.

"Yeah lets get out of here, we don't need to deal with any mortals today" Andrea, the hunter who spoke, slung her bow onto her shoulder. She started hiking north east. Another blessing of Artemis, we all had our bearings, I knew where camp was and I knew how far away it was. At this pace, we'd be there in about four hours. Luckily we were all quick on our feet so walking was unbelievably fast.

The wind kicked up and blew my hair down into my face. It was stark blue and short with layers on top of layers. I wore black converse and my silver hunter's camouflage. Another gust of wind blew again, this time out of my face. I paused for a second, how did the wind change so fast. I drew my conclusion at the same time as the other hunters. They'd all drawn their bows and began firing arrow after arrow at the Pegasus darting through the trees.

"Hold you fire" I grunted, half tempted to let them shoot John, anyway.

"What?" asked Andréa looking at me like I was crazy.

"It's my cousin and his friend," I answered "they're idiots but they aren't dangerous."

"The motorcycle stopped" said Lou. I almost missed it because she said it so softly.

I grumbled and turned towards the road, now that they knew we were here we had to say hello. I walked through the roadside bushes and found myself looking into the eyes of my smiling cousin.

"Sup?" he asked leaning against his motorcycle.

"Tell john to leave us alone" I ordered

"I'm not his boss" said Xen pulling his ninjato out and running his finger along the side. "And last time I checked that's no way to say hello to your favorite uncle's son?"

I knew this game, Xen and I had a running joke where we attacked each other every time we met. It didn't matter where we were or what we were doing.

Without warning I sprang at him, knives drawn and ready for action. I thought, I'd gotten the better of him but he was quick. Like lightning he raised his sword and deflected my knives. I struck again but missed. He struck down towards my shoulder but I pushed the blade away.

It was all going fine, until one of my hunters panicked. An arrow sprouted from Xenos' shoulder. He fell backwards onto his but and smirked. Gods he was weird. "You ok?" I asked, but before I could do anything john was there, he pulled the arrow out of Xen's chest and handed him a square of ambrosia.

"Looks like you lost this one mate," he chuckled helping Xen to his feet. "You ok Mac?"

"I'm fine, and I didn't lose I was cheated,"

"I'd have won anyway," I looked over at my hunters "Even without the help of…" I noticed Lou's face was bright red.

"I didn't know it was your game, I'm sorry Mr. Xenos,"

"Mr. Xenos?" John asked incredulously "are you crazy."

"Be nice John, she's relatively new and she doesn't know how rude demigods are yet,"

Before john could say anything there was an earsplitting screech. I knew that screech "Griffons!" I shouted spinning towards the direction the sound came from.

"Bet I kill more than you!" shouted Xen as he pulled an old rifle from his bike.

"No way"

"Neither of you will kill anything if you don't shut up and fight" shouted john as he leapt onto his grey Pegasus.

I was at a serious disadvantage, Griffons were tough to kill with a sword. I was beginning to formulate a plan when the monsters burst through the trees. They weren't normal griffons, they were a smaller breed, a cross between Falcons and Mountain Lions. They were small fast and vicious.

Immediately my hunters started raining arrows towards the griffons. John was flying through the sky pointing his fingers at random griffons. Every one he pointed at fell out of the air unconscious. I rushed foreword, doing my best to kill the fallen griffons but Xenos would shoot some in the air and I wouldn't stand a chance.

We were down to our last six birds and John was working overtime to help out Xen. Not fare. He was pointing at birds like crazy, that's when it happened. The big Scottish oaf passed out. He dropped like a rock. Despite his Pegasus' vain attempts at biting his butt, the poor thing couldn't catch him. Apparently I was its fail safe. The two hundred pound sun of Morpheus came crashing down flattening me against the earth.

"UUUGGH" I grunted in frustration, trying in vain to roll the sleeping man off of me. "GET HIM OFF!" I shouted to my hunters.

Two didn't want to touch him, but Lou jumped at the chance and did her best to roll john over. With some effort, and a little help from Xen, we managed to roll the guy over.

"UGH you'd better apologize," I said rounding on Xen

"For what? I didn't knock him out." He said nonchalantly.

"But-"

"Help me tie him to his horse" said Xen ignoring me and grabbing one of john's arms. Apparently my hunters had taken care of the remaining griffons.

"Fine" I said grabbing his other arm. With Lou's help we managed to lift John onto his horse and tie him there. I was just about to leave when Xen laid a guilt trip on me.

"I can't take him, my bike and Keg all to camp alone," he said "It's dangerous, it's only like five hours from here, what would it hurt to baby sit me?" I knew he just wanted to talk about his favorite topic, which was getting the clans back together. He continued on rambling off ridiculous reasons for why he couldn't take john alone.

"If you shut up I'll go with you." I grumbled turning to Lou and addressing her. "Take the hunter's to half-blood hill, I'm going with Xenos."

With that, and only a little complaining from my hunter's we were off. I rode john's horse, with john tied to the back. I galloped along the road, with Xen following me on his motorcycle.

"Do you think they'd ever get back together?" asked Xen as he pulled his bike up along side me. Here it comes, I decided to play dumb.

"Who?" I asked.

"The clans, do you think they'll ever go back to camp and just make everything normal again."

"I doubt it, it'll never be the same as it used to be." I said wrapping the horses' reins around my hands.

"Yeah it's tough, they all want the new world to be their way, Jericho just wants to help people, they don't care so much about the future. They're doing what they can when they can."

"But is that the best way to go?" I asked "The Trojans just want demigods to be out and known, they want us to be respected, maybe even worshiped, would that be so bad? I don't know, but I do know that demigods have been in the shadows for too long."

"Maybe, but what's wrong with going back to the way things used to be, back before the crash, that's all the tranqs want, honestly their idea seems the most reasonable."

"Maybe," I replied "but the world wasn't perfect before, the crash, should we really strive to recreate that, this is after all a second chance, a new beginning to some extent. We could greatly benefit from this, we just need to play our cards right."

"Just remember" said Xenos pointing at my hand, "To play them right you gotta play them."

On the soft skin between my thumb and pointer finger was a tattoo. I'd had it for so long I barely even noticed it any more. They called it a dead mans hand tattoo. Basically when wild bill Hitchcock was shot in the back, he was playing poker. His hand had been aces and eights. No one knows the fifth card. I had hearts and spades. The fifth card was tucked behind the rest, facing away, like a mystery.

"We'll thanks for the stimulating conversation" said Xen. We'd reached half-blood hill without my even noticing. He kicked me off of keg, john's horse, and drove off down the hill towards the big house.

I stood silent next to Thalia's tree. After a few second I tentatively reached my hand out. I pressed my tattooed left hand open palmed against the bark. It was warm, I wondered if Thalia's soul were still a part of it. Maybe she was looking down at the valley. If she were, she'd be disappointed. In her lifetime they united the Greeks and the Romans. In mine we couldn't even unite ourselves. It looks as if we're a sad new breed of heroes.

**ok so i have a plot outline and all a good feel for all of my story related characters. unfortunately i may have bitten off more than i can chew with just the number of characters let alone the ammount of information. it's no matter though I can guarantee a mention of all of your characters at least hopefully i'll have more, and i appologize if I can make your back stories fit some things just dont fit with my story. sorry for any inconvenience. **

**-B.W.T. MARKHAM**


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